Bantayan, Camotes islands new tourism master plans set to be implemented

This is one of the beaches in Bantayan Island in this 2019 photo. According to the Department of Tourism, the island’s beaches have attracted more than 200,000 tourists from 2014 to 2018. | CDN Digital file photo (Immae Lachica)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) and the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) are preparing to launch the recently completed Tourism Development Plans for the islands of Bantayan and Camotes, two of Cebu’s most popular tourist destinations.

OPAV Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino said in a statement on Monday, May 30, that these “two-year-in-the-making” tourism master plans would be among the legacies of the outgoing Duterte administration, whose term had been set to end in June this year.

Dino expressed gratitude to TIEZA for funding the creation of these Tourism Development Plans which were initiated by OPAV.

“OPAV initiated this project and we are grateful to TIEZA for heeding our call and coming into the picture to fund the creation of these Tourism Development Plans,” Dino said.

The OPAV Secretary said tourism was crucial for Cebu because it was among its primary economic drivers.

He said having these well-researched and well-documented Tourism Development plans would greatly help Cebu further to develop the tourism potential of the islands of Camotes and Bantayan.

OPAV pushed for the creation of a master plan for Cebu’s premier tourist hubs so they would not experience what Boracay Island went through when it had to be closed for rehabilitation.

“President Duterte has always promoted tourism in the country and has taken historic rehabilitation to preserve such, we owe it to him and we are always grateful in the Visayas for these initiatives,” Dino said.

Development plans for Bantayan, Camotes

OPAV also said that the comprehensive plans focused  into the various conceptual site development plans for Bantayan and Camotes, especially for each proposed tourism development zone on these islands.

The master plans also strictly mandate the proposed 25 meter + 5 meter no-build zone for Bantayan and Camotes similar to the recently enforced easement for Boracay Island. 

The 25-meter easements from the mean high water mark will serve as a salvage zone, while the 5 meters will be the main pathway for the whole stretch of the beach area.

OPAV said Bantayan’s master plan had proposed, among other several plans, that cliffside lots should be limited to one hectare to minimize the density of developments.

A 30-meter easement from the edge of the cliff would be a public open space; this open space, OPAV said, would consist of connecting walkways, movable retail kiosks, view decks, landscape areas, activity areas, and an opportunity for cliff diving sites.

This is a cliff diving area in one of the resorts of Bantayan Island in this 2021 photo. | FILE PHOTO (Photo courtesy of Ar-Art)

An architectural roof type for the developments is also suggested to be a pitched, thatched roof to enhance a more island-living feel.

This proposal is also aimed to be implemented at Sta. Fe’s “The Ruins,” a famous tourist attraction in the municipality.

Moreover, the master plan also proposes an esplanade/linear park that connects several landmarks with a pedestrian-friendly pathway lined with palms and trees. Benches are provided at the entire stretch to give pedestrians an area to rest and enjoy the view of the sea. Such a plan is being pitched to be applied at the existing passenger port Poblacion in Bantayan town.

The same plans are also being proposed for Camotes Island which is made up of four municipalities namely Pilar, Poro, Tudela and San Francisco.

Under the master plan, the cliffside development is being pushed to be implemented in Western Poblacion, municipality of Poro. The master plan also proposes the esplanade and passenger port development be adapted by Southern Poblacion in Tudela town.

Under the plan, areas for retail kiosks will be made available which can be another source of income for the park. Proposed open spaces provide areas for outdoor activities or public gatherings. The port is designed to accommodate both large vessels like fast crafts and small pump boats.

OPAV also said that a passenger port terminal was also proposed to provide a space for a ticketing booth, a few F&B’s and restrooms for passengers. A lower boardwalk, which is accessible by stairs and ramps, is provided for the pump boat passengers.

Tourists enjoy the beach in Sta. Fe in Bantayan Island in this 2018 photo. According to Department of Tourism data, some 200,000 tourists visited Bantayan Island from 2014 to 2018. | CDN FILE PHOTO (Lito Tecson)

Tourist arrivals

OPAV said Bantayan and Camotes are crucial tourist hubs in Cebu because they attract an increasing number of tourists before the pandemic.

Based on the data from the Department of Tourism (DOT), Bantayan Island which is made up of the towns of Bantayan, Madridejos, and Santa Fe, showed increasing tourism arrivals from 2014 to 2018. Tourism arrivals reached more than 200,000 in 2018.

The average and compounded annual growth rate for the four years was estimated to be at 49 percent and 45 percent, respectively.

OPAV also said in the statement that tourist arrivals in Camotes Islands increased in the past four years reaching almost 75,000 in 2018.

This was almost six times more than what was recorded in 2014.

“This remarkable increase was evident across the four towns of San Francisco, Pilar, Poro, and Tudela. San Francisco, the main gateway to Camotes and where most of the tourism amenities and services are located, received the most number of tourism arrivals on the island,” OPAV said.

Tourists visit the Bukilat cave during a 2017 Suroy-Suroy Sugbo caravan. The DOT said that Camotes Islands had attracted 75,000 tourists in 2018.

The Tourism Development Plan Project (TDPP) for Bantayan and Camotes is a consultancy services project funded by the TIEZA. TIEZA has tapped PGAA Creative Design to provide consultancy services for the creation of these preliminary tourism plans.

The TDPP has been implemented in coordination by the consultant with the OPAV, the regional offices of the Department of Tourism and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Cebu Provincial Tourism Office. 

The local government units or LGUs of the Bantayan (the municipalities of Bantayan, Madridejos, and Santa Fe) and Camotes (the municipalities of Pilar, Poro, San Francisco, and Tudela) were also involved in the creation process.

Moreover, Lawyer Lessandro Maraon, OPAV’s head executive assistant, said in the OPAV statement that the Bantayan and Camotes tourism plans were being readied for implementation by the LGUs after a series of consultations and research sessions were conducted by the consultant.

“These are detailed plans as they touch on several aspects, including tourism development, transport, culture, power, and waste-water management. These areas are essential in the tourism value-chain,” Maraon said.

Based on the National Tourism Development Plan 2016-2022, the Bantayan and Camotes group of islands are part of the Cebu Tourism Development Area or TDA under the Central Visayas and Negros Island Cluster Destination of the Central Philippines Destination Group.

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